Small town’s headache over miners’ long-term parking

‘They don’t let them park in town for five or seven days but they’re quite happy to let them park out here’

Heidi Petith and Heidi.Petith@news.com.au

3 min read

October 23, 2020 - 10:41AM

Eton residents say the miners' vehicles parked for up to a week outside of the Handimarket are taking up parks and reducing visibility for parents and children heading to school. Picture: Heidi Petith

Mackay

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ETON residents are fed up with miners using the town’s main street as their long-term parking lot while they are out on shift.

More than 30 vehicles at any one time line Telegraph St around Eton’s only supermarket, over the road in the gully and down Prospect St heading towards Eton State School.

5STAR Handimarket owner Wayne Haag said while the vehicles’ owners benefited from the streetlights and security cameras offered protection, they were blocking his shop’s driveway and side carpark.

5STAR Handimarket along Telegraph St, Eton is surrounded by parked cars. Picture: Heidi Petith

“They’re there for a full five days at a time,” Mr Haag said.

“The guys have got to park somewhere, but there’s a lot of other options.

“It just congests everything and if you’re coming from the school, those cars are parked right out at the corner.

“You can’t see anyone coming down.

“There’s no visibility and it makes it dangerous.”

Eton State School along Prospect St, Eton, is just around the corner from the main street of town. Picture: Heidi Petith

Eton resident Ben Martin said it was a regular struggle to access the shop.

“If you want to check your mailbox, you have to park 100m away,” Mr Martin said.

In addressing the parking issue, Mackay Regional Councillor Alison Jones said it was “not a problem that will be solved overnight”.

“I have spoken to council about the parking issues and am currently investigating what needs to happen,” Cr Jones said.

Cars parked in the gully along Telegraph St, Eton, which also happens to flood in heavy rains. Picture: Heidi Petith

But Mr Haag said the issue would not occur closer to Mackay.

“They don’t let them park in town for five or seven days but they’re quite happy to let them park out here for that long,” he said.

“They wanted the mines to spend the money on the ground to actually make a car park but the mines wouldn’t do it, so nothing proceeded.”

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Mr Haag said the police also found it difficult to book drivers for “illegal” parking near the corner as there were no line markings on Prospect St.

The miners’ cars parked along Prospect St, Eton. You can see the school in the background. Picture: Heidi Petith

But the council currently had no works planned to formalise parking in the area.

Mackay Regional Council Community and Client Services director Angela Hays said the council had not received any recent complaints about illegal parking in the area.

“The last time our Local Laws officers checked on this area, parking was compliant,’’ Ms Hays said.

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This story was thanks to the My Town series – a Daily Mercury and Mackay Regional Council initiative.